Fire-alarm signal-box.



W. J. LEVERIDGE.

1 FIRE ALARM SIGNAL BOX.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 12, 1913. 1,080,354. Patented De0;2,1913.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

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I v BY v ATTORNEYS W. J. LEVBRIDGE.

FIRE ALARM SIGNAL BOX.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 12, 1913.

Patented Dec. 2, 1913.

2 SHEETSSHEBT 2.

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INVENTO/i I Z a H, 20 w Z0 ZZ rJL Ve M e. Q6 67 9" Arm/Mfrs WIT/VESSEL/ WALTER .i. LEVERIDGE,

or PLAINFIELD, NEW JE SEY, ASSIGNOR 'ro CHARLES w.

LEVERIDGE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

FIRE-ALARM sIGNAL-B X.

1 Specification of Letters latent.

Patented Dec. 2, 1913.

Application filed March 12, 1913. Serial No. 753.672.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, lVAL'rnn J. Lnvnnmon, a citizen of the United States and a resident of Plainfield. in the county of Union and State of New J crsey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire- Alarm Signal-Boxes, of which the following is a specification. 1

My invention relates to fire alarm signal apparatus and particularly to that type of apparatus known in practice I as breakglass fire alarm boxes wherein upon the breakage of a pane of glass the signal mechanism is automatically started and the alarm and signal given.

The main object of the invention is to apply the break-glass principle of automatic starting to an ordinary pull-1ever type of :fire alarm box so that upon breakingthe glass not only an alarm signal Wlll be given.

but the number of the box will also be transmitted, the same as is the case in the ordinary lever type of fire alarm box.

. A further object is to provide means whereby when the alarm is started, it cannot be stopped until ithas transmitted its predetermined number of signals.

A still further object is to provide a device of this character wherein a new glass cannot be inserted until the mechanism has been returned or reset to sending position so that a new signal will immediately be sent when the new glass is broken.

To these ends the invention consists in the improved fire alarm signal hereinafter more particularly described and then specitied in the claims. 5

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a transverse horizontal section through'a fire alarm box constructed in accordance with this invention, the section being taken on the line l1 of Fig. 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the apparatus taken on the line 2-2 F l and looking in the direction of the arrows. Fig. 3 is a detached view showing the test ing switch in plan. Fig. 4 is a front elevation showing the main operativeparts in the position taken after the box hassent its complete round of signals, parts' of the apparatus being broken away and parts omitted. Fig. illustrates a modification in the form of latch mechanism employed. Figs. (3 and 7 illustrate a further modification of the latch mechanism.

The main advaiitage to this invention lies in the fact that it can be applied to the ordinary, simple type'of alarm signal boxes such as are commonly operated by a pull or rotating lever and extensively used in factories and other large buildings.

In the drawings, 1 indicates the casing'of the box provided Wltlljll hinged cover 2 to which the cloclnwork mechanism 3 is suitablysecnred as is usual. The clockavork mechanism comprises a rotatable signal wheel 4 mounted on a shaft 5; a spring (5 for rotating the wheel at as well'as the other parts of the mechanismgan 'escapementwheel 7 and a reciprocating stop 8 mounted on a shaft 9 also rotated by the spring 6 and which engages a pin 10 projecting from the signal wheel 4 to stop its rotation.

These parts all act in the usual manner, that is when the spring 6 is re-u'ound. the stop ;8 is turned away from the signal wheel pin 10, so that when the spring is released it rotates the signal wheel 4 and at the same time the stop 8 swings back more or less fast (due to the timing of the clock mechanism) until it finally comes into position where .it again engages the pin 10 and the mechanism is brought to rest. Any desired number of rotations ofthe signal wheel may be provided for, as will be readily understood, the sin;-

nals being sent by the notches in the wh'eell acting on a circuit breaker ll (when the alarm is designed to be nornmlly on closed circuit) of any suitable or desired type.

Suitably secured to the shaft 9 so as to rotate therewith is a plate preferably in the. form of a sector 12. This plate. when the spring 6 is released. travels at the same rate of speed as'the stop 8 and when the stop is returned to its initial position. the plate 12 also returns to its original position. A chamber 13 is formed on the front of the cover 2 of the alarm box by means of raised lugs or flanges ll. and a pane of glass 15 closing the chamber and fastened on said 'tlanges by any suitable means such. as the clips 16. l

17 indicates a lever pivoted at '18 to the cover andhaving its free end normally held in depressed position by the glass 15.. i.

The lever 17 carries a latch 19 preferably in the form of a depending arm which passes througha suitnbleopening in the cover 2 and engages the movable plate 12. Normally when the signal mechanism has of the shaft 23, indicated in dotted been reset and a glass in position, the latch 19 engages the side of the plate 12 as indicatcd in Fig. 2, in which position the spring 6 is held from rotating the signal wheel by the glass 15 holding the lever 17 down against the action of a spring 20 which tends to cause the latch to move away from the plate 12. i If desired, the latch l9 may be provided with a projection or finger 21 rigidly secured thereto and adapted to engage a stud projecting from'some one of the movable members of the clock mechanism, preferably the escapement wheel 7. The object of this feature is to merely provide additional precaution that the clock mechanism will be held against rotation of the signal wheel as soon as the latch is forced to locking position. withdrawn the linger 21 travels bodily with it and also frees the escapement wheel.

The operation of the device is as follows: Normally the parts are .in the positions shown in- Figs. .1 and 2. the glass 15 hold ing the latch 19 in such position. that it engages the edge of the plate 12 and prevents rotation of the signal wheel. When it is desired to send an alarm the glass 15 is broken by a haunncr or other tool usually provided at the side of the alarm box and the latch 19 immediately flies out by means of the spring 20. the escapement wheel being released by the same movement and the signal wheel starts to rotate, sending its signal as is usual. by means of the circuit liriaiker 11. immediately upon the rotalion of the parts, the shaft 9 is, of necessity. rotated. and carries with it the plate or sector 12. which then comes in the path of the end of lhclatch 19. After the beginning of the movement of the parts has taken place it is iu'ipossiblc to again stop the apparatus before it has completed its-cycle. as the plate 12 is then in the path of the latch '15) and prevents it from being forced inward or a new glass inserted. The mechanism continues its movements until the stop 8 is in such position, (due. to its travel with the plate 12 and the action of the spring (3) that it is in the path of the signal wheel pin 10, at which time the mechanism is brought to rest. At this time the latch 19 is in the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1, the plate 12 still being in its path and preventing it from being pushed inwardly; The object of this feature of the invention is to prevent the possibility of inserting a new glass when the. parts are in the pflsltlml shown in Fig. 4. that is. such position that they are not capable of sending a new signal even should the glass be broken. In order to insert a new glass it is necessary to reset the stop 8 to its original position by means of a key or other device attached to the end lines in Fig. 1, and this resetting movement of the When the latch 19 isstop 8 also carries with it the plate 12 and brings said plate to the position indicated In -Fig. 1 and 2, in which position the latch 1.9

is free to be forced inwardly and a. new glass mounted on the front of the casing, to hold the latch in such inward or locking position. If desired, the end of the latch 19 might be provided with a roller 24, as indicated in Fig. 5, to eliminate friction and prevent the possibility of stopping the signal mechanism after it has once started, by pressing the lever 17 inwardly and causing a binding action between the end of the latch and the surface of the plate 12.

The particular form might be greatly varied, another form being indicated in Figs. 6 and 7, wherein the latch is in the formof a spindle or dog 25 provided with laterally projecting pins 26 which are engaged by'the spring 20 to force the latch 25 outward when the glass 15 is broken. Also it will be understood that the end of the latch 25 might be provided with a roller, if desired. i

It will he understood that it is not necessary to employ the finger or projection 21 to engage the escapement wheel, except as the same may he desired, but by its use it is assured that immediately upon the inward movement of the latch, the mechanism will be held against rotation even though there maybe a slight clearance between the side of the plate 12 and the side of the latch 19.

27 and 28 indicate conductors leading from the circuit breaker 11, one to the terminal 29 and the other to a contact 30. The contact 30 connects by a contact arm 31 with a binding post 32, to which post one end of the'contact arm is secured. The binding post 80 in turn is connected with the other line terminal- 83 by a wire 36, 3 1- and 35 indicating the-outside line circuit wires through which the alarin is transmitted and the signal. at a'distant point, given as is well understood in the art.

Preferably the box is normally on closed circuit (although it will be understood that it might equally well operate on normally open circuit) and therefore normally the contact arm 31 lie-s against the contact 30 I to complete the circuit. In order to test the condition of the line circuit I provide a switch arm having a shaft 38 squared on its end and PI'OJQCtIHg through an opening iii the side of the casing 1. This switch arm is adapted to engage the contact arm 31' andwhcu turned forces the arm away from the contact 30, breaks the circuit and sends a signal. showing that the line is in proper order. The coi'iiact. arm 31 being of spring metal, immediately goes back into engagement with the contact 30 when the switch lever 37 is released. By providing this test switch as shown the same key that is used to reset the signal mechanism can be used to engage the squared end of the shaft 38 and by turning the lever 37 send the signal, thus doing away with the necessity of having more than one key and also preventing mischievous tampering with the test switch, as often happens when a button or crank on the outside of the box is employed.

\Vhat I claim as my invention is:

1. In abreak-glass fire alarm, the combination of a signal wheel, a spring adapted when released to rotate said wheel, a latch adapted to normally hold said spring and a glass adapted to maintain said latch in holding position, said latch being adapted to automatically free the spring when said glass is broken and a plate adapted to beengaged by and maintain said latch in inoperative position during the rotation of said signal wheel and until the alarmmechanism has been reset.

2. In a break-glass fire alarm, the combination of a signal wheel, a spring adapted when released to rotate said wheel, a latch adapted to normally hold said spring, a glass adapted to maintain said latch in holding position, said latch being adapted to automatically free the spring when said glass is broken and means actuated by said spring and adapted to maintain said latch in inoperative position at all times until the mechanism has been reset for, a new signal.

In a break-glass fire alarm, the combination of a signal wheel, a spring adapted when released to rotate said wheel, a movable" plate actuated by said spring, means for normally holding said plate against the action of .said spring and a glass adapted to maintain said means in holding position, said means being adapted to automatically release said plate when said glass is broken.

4. In a break-glass fire alarm, the combination of a signal wheel, a spring adapted when released to rotate said wheel, a movable plate actuated by said spring, a latch for normally holding said plate against the action of the spring, a glass adapted to maintain said latch in holding position and a spring adapted to force said latch from its holding position when the glass is'broken," said latch riding on said plate during the rotation of the signal wheel.

5. In a break-glass fire alarm, the combination of a signal wheel, a spring adapted when released to rotate said wheel, a movable sect'or actuated by said spring, a latch for normally holding said sector against the i action of said spring, a glass adapted to maintain said latch in holding position and a spring for rendering said latch inoperative when the glass is broken, said latch being maintained in inoperative position by said sector during the rotation of the signal wheel and at the time said signal wheel comes to rest.

G. In a break-glass fire alarm, the combination of a clock-work mechanism compris ing a signal wheel, a spring for rotating said mechanism and an escapem'ent wheel, a movable plate actuated by said spring, a latch for normally holding said plate against the action of said spring, a glass adapted to maintain said latch in holding position and means carried by said latch for engaging and holding the escapement wheel of said mechanism, said latch and said means being adapted to automatically release said sector and said escapement wheel when said glass is broken.

7. In a break-glass fire alarm, the combination of a clock mechanism comprising a signal wheel. and a spring adapted when released to rotate said wheel, a movable plate actuated by said spring, a latch for normally holding said plate against the action of said spring, means carried by said latch and adapted to engage a movable part of said.

clock-work mechanism and a glass adapted to maintain said latch and said means in holding position, said latch and means being adapted to automatically release the clock work mechanism when the glass is'broken.

8. In a break-glass fire alarm, the combination of a signal wheel, a spring adapted' when released to rotate said wheel, a pivoted plate actuated by said spring, a latch adapted to engage said plate and normally hold said spring, a glass adapted to maintain said latchin holding position and a spring adapted to automatically release said latch when said glass is'broken, said plate being turned into holding position only when said alarm is reset after sending its complete signal.

Signed at New York in the county of 'New York and State of New York this 11th day of March A. D. 1913.

. \VALTER J. LEVERIDGE. \Vitnesses F. B. TOWNSEND, W. IV. GHRISTIANSEN.

Copies of this patent mav be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of I'atents.

Washington, I). G. 

